Saving Grace

But God will redeem my soul from the [a]power of [b]Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah  Psalm 49:15 NASB Will redeem – “I am redeemed,” said the new convert.  “I am free at last.”  Is that how you felt when you realized your sins were forgiven?  Was there an emotional experience of relief?  Did you feel like a new…

Salvation Synonyms

Do not abandon me, Lord;  My God, do not be far from me!  Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation!  Psalm 38:21-22  NASB Salvation – What does tĕšûʿâ mean?  It’s commonly translated “salvation,” but the ancient Hebrew idea isn’t loaded with theological content in the way we use the English word today.  In our world, salvation tows in…

Heaven Can Wait

Save me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the wrongdoer and the ruthless,  Psalm 71:4  NASB Save me – The first thing we should notice in the Hebrew text is that the call of the poet isn’t the first thing in the Hebrew text.  The first thing is the…

The Sleeper Awakens

He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  I will satisfy him with a long life, and show him My salvation. Psalm 91:15-16  NASB My – Do you think we’ve plumbed this verse?  Is there nothing more to mine here?  Well, maybe we…

Visions of Grandeur

He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  I will satisfy him with a long life, and show him My salvation. Psalm 91:15-16  NASB Show – How will God “show” His salvation to the man who calls on Him?  If you read this…

Tears on Your Shoulder

Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You.  Psalm 88:1 (English)  NASB Lord, the God – Make sure you realize why both of these words are found at the beginning of this poem.  YHVH, of course, and ʾĕlōhîm.  Today we consider both of these as designations of…

Divine Help!!

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,   Titus 2:11-12  NASB Has appeared – Why do you suppose Paul chooses this verb (epiphaínō) rather than the related but more common verb, phaínō?  The common verb means almost…

Second Skin

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:11  NIV Full armor – In my dream I’m covered with some kind of black plastic tarry substance.  It tries to hold me down to the ground.  I try to fight it off, but no matter what…

Overwhelmed

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:12-13 NASB Work out your salvation – If you’re saved by…

Relation or Possession (Rewind)

You shall have no other gods before me.  Exodus 20:3  NASB Shall have – In May of 2014 we looked at the important difference between Greek thought and Hebrew thought in this verse.  Usually translated “you shall not have,” the Hebrew verb plus negative, lo-yihye’, reveals an important characteristic of Hebrew thought.  The translation, “shall…